Adrian Gonzalez goes Mickey Mouse on Cardinals

Wainwright, who started and lost Game 3 for the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, complained that Gonzalez was doing “Mickey Mouse stuff” after hitting a double in the game. Gonzalez joked that it was appropriate, since Disneyland is only an hour away from Dodger Stadium.

Both players downplayed their comments before Game 5 on Wednesday, then Gonzalez gestured in the shape of “Mickey Mouse ears” as he headed back to the Dodgers’ dugout following his third-inning home run.

“I was just having fun with the comment that was made earlier,” he said. “Nothing against them or anything. It was just to have fun.”

Celebrations and baseball etiquette have become a focal point for the media, with players expressing different opinions about what is and isn’t appropriate. As Gonzalez’s home run helped keep the series alive another day, his playful gesture kept the discourse about celebrations going, too.

“We have so much respect for the Cardinals organization and how they play the game,” Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said. “The playoffs bring out emotions. I’m happy he didn’t do it a second time.”

“You don’t want to overdo it. I get it,” Dodgers utility player and former Cardinal Skip Schumaker said. “That’s not how some of us play, as far as getting all excited. As long as you’re not doing it toward the other side it’s not a big deal, I don’t think.

“If you pump toward the other dugout, that’s when there’s an issue. We’re not doing anything toward them. They’re not doing anything toward us. It’s just an exciting series, an emotional series.”

Andre Ethier’s health improving with time

Andre Ethier had no issues with his left ankle playing nine innings in center field and being tested often.

He misplayed a line drive off the wall hit by Carlos Beltran in the third inning, first missing the ball then slipping on the warning track. Beltran wound up on third base with a triple, similar to a ball he hit for a double in Game 1 of the series at Busch Stadium.

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But that had nothing to do with the ankle. Ethier also chased down a fly ball and a line drive in the fourth inning, and otherwise had no glaring problems getting to any balls hit to the gaps.

“I guess I’m a little more confident on it,” he said. “I just go for it, don’t really think about it. I don’t think there’s any more limitations. Maybe I’m a little, just a step not the same.”

Ethier didn’t play in Game 2 and had the advantage of rest before Game 5. The Dodgers took batting practice indoors and didn’t shag fly balls in the outfield, their typical day game routine.

Maybe that helped Ethier, but he isn’t seeking out any extra rest.

“I feel much better,” he said. “Hopefully we turned a corner. No more worries on it. We’re still having to do stuff to prepare every day and work through the stiffness and the soreness, but no other things other than that, that I have to really be conscious of.”

Kenley Jansen’s ninth inning adventure

Blame the sun, blame the circumstances, blame what you will — Kenley Jansen said his 26-pitch adventure in the ninth inning was the result of a good opponent.

“They put two runs on me, but I can’t worry about that,” Jansen said. “Just have to have a short memory. Those guys are tough. Sometimes they’re going to get you, sometimes they’re not.”

Jansen managed to strike out the side, but not without allowing four hits and turning a 6-2 game into a 6-4 nailbiter.

The first hit came when Puig lost Matt Holliday’s sinking fly ball in the sun in right field. Holliday wound up on second base with a double and scored on a single by Matt Adams. Adams later scored on an RBI single by Pete Kozma.

The situation was a bit unfamiliar. In 75 appearances this season, Jansen pitched with a lead of four or more runs seven times. He tied for 11th in the National League with 28 saves.

Only twice this season did Jansen pitch two innings, but he told Dodgers manager Don Mattingly that he’d be comfortable doing so in the playoffs.

“It is must-win,” Jansen said. “If they want to extend on me, I can go two innings. It’s just for them to know I have that confidence in myself. I know I can do it.”